10 silliest inventions from the science hall of shame (Part 2)

Apr 18, 2012, 09:26 IST
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A Correspondent

Albert Einstein is renowned for his remarkable achievements in science. While science takes the credit for those breakthrough discoveries that have changed how humans live, it also boasts a string of silly inventions, many of which haven't really been made public. On the occassion of the great scientist's 57th death anniversary, here are 10 of the silliest, as revealed in a new science book:

4. Inventor Louis Douglas III put in a patent in 1990 for a synthesiser activated by warm wee hitting a urinal. He hoped the idea would encourage users to "express their artistic talents by creating an appropriate light show or symphony through a loudspeaker."

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5. A US firm created a 2,500 pounds prototype of the new shirt, which rolled up its own sleeves as the wearer got hotter. They also claimed it would never need ironing.

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6. In preparation for the 1976 Olympics, East German swimmers had 1.8 litres of air pumped up their bottoms to aid buoyancy. It was said to aid crawl and backstroke swimmers, but breaststrokers moaned their gas-filled guts made the feet stick out of the water.